Vyasa Counsels Dhritarashtra

Verse 1 (3.8.1)

धृतराष्ट्र महाप्राज्ञ निबोध वचनं मम । वक्ष्यामि त्वां कौरवाणां सर्वेषां हितमुत्तमम् ॥

dhṛtarāṣṭra mahāprājña nibodha vacanaṃ mama | vakṣyāmi tvāṃ kauravāṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ hitamuttamam

"Dhritarashtra, wise one, listen to my words. I will tell you what is best for the good of all the Kauravas."

Note on the text: Corrected धतराष्ट्र → धृतराष्ट्र (misprint in Wikisource; dropped ṛ; the critical edition reads dhṛtarāṣṭra).

Verse 2 (3.8.2)

न मे प्रियं महाबाहो यद्गताः पाण्डवा वनम् । निकृत्या निकृताश्चैव दुर्योधनपुरोगमैः ॥

na me priyaṃ mahābāho yadgatāḥ pāṇḍavā vanam | nikṛtyā nikṛtāścaiva duryodhanapurogamaiḥ

"It does not please me, mighty-armed one, that the Pandavas have gone to the forest, cheated by fraud at the hands of Duryodhana and his followers."

Note on the text: Corrected निकृत्त्या → निकृत्या (misprint in Wikisource; doubled त्; the critical edition reads nikṛtyā).

Verse 3 (3.8.3)

ते स्मरन्तः परिक्लेशान्वर्षे पूर्णे त्रयोदशे । विमोक्ष्यन्ति विषं क्रुद्धाः कौरवेयेषु भारत ॥

te smarantaḥ parikleśānvarṣe pūrṇe trayodaśe | vimokṣyanti viṣaṃ kruddhāḥ kauraveyeṣu bhārata

"Remembering their sufferings, they will spit out their venom in anger on the Kauravas when the thirteenth year is complete, O Bharata."

Verse 4 (3.8.4)

तदयं किंनु पापात्मा तव पुत्रः सुमन्दधीः । पाण्डवान्नित्यसंक्रुद्धो राज्यहेतोर्जिघांसति ॥

tadayaṃ kiṃnu pāpātmā tava putraḥ sumandadhīḥ | pāṇḍavānnityasaṃkruddho rājyahetorjighāṃsati

"Why then does this evil-hearted, dull-witted son of yours, forever enraged against the Pandavas, seek to kill them for the sake of the kingdom?"

Verse 5 (3.8.5)

वार्यतां साध्वयं मूढः शमं गच्छतु ते सुतः । वनस्थांस्तानयं हन्तुमिच्छन्प्राणान्विमोक्ष्यति ॥

vāryatāṃ sādhvayaṃ mūḍhaḥ śamaṃ gacchatu te sutaḥ | vanasthāṃstānayaṃ hantumicchanprāṇānvimokṣyati

"Let this fool be firmly restrained; let your son be at peace. If he tries to kill them while they live in the forest, he will lose his own life."

Verse 6 (3.8.6)

यथाऽऽह विदुरः प्राज्ञो यथा भीष्मो यथा वयम् । यथा कृपश्च द्रोणश्च तथा साधु विधीयताम् ॥

yathā''ha viduraḥ prājño yathā bhīṣmo yathā vayam | yathā kṛpaśca droṇaśca tathā sādhu vidhīyatām

"Do what is right, as the wise Vidura has said, as Bhishma has said, as I say, and as Kripa and Drona say."

Verse 7 (3.8.7)

विग्रहो हि महाप्राज्ञ स्वजनेन विगर्हितः । अधर्म्यमयशस्यं च मा राजन्प्रतिपद्यथाः ॥

vigraho hi mahāprājña svajanena vigarhitaḥ | adharmyamayaśasyaṃ ca mā rājanpratipadyathāḥ

"Strife with one's own kin is condemned, wise one. Do not take a course that is unrighteous and brings disgrace, king."

Verse 8 (3.8.8)

समीक्षा यादृशी ह्यस्य पाण्डवान्प्रति भारत । उपेक्ष्यमाणा सा राजन्महान्तमनयं व्रजेत् ॥

samīkṣā yādṛśī hyasya pāṇḍavānprati bhārata | upekṣyamāṇā sā rājanmahāntamanayaṃ vrajet

"The way he looks upon the Pandavas, O Bharata — if it is overlooked, king, it will lead to great disaster."

Note on the text: Corrected ह्मस्य → ह्यस्य (misprint in Wikisource; म for य; the critical edition reads hy asya).

Verse 9 (3.8.9)

अथवाऽयं सुमन्दात्मा वनं गच्छतु ते सुतः । पाण्डवैः सहितो राजन्नेक एवासहायवान् ॥

athavā'yaṃ sumandātmā vanaṃ gacchatu te sutaḥ | pāṇḍavaiḥ sahito rājanneka evāsahāyavān

"Or else let this dull-souled son of yours go to the forest alone, king, without any companion, and live with the Pandavas."

Verse 10 (3.8.10)

ततः संसर्गजः स्नेहः पुत्रस्य तव पाण्डवैः । यदि स्यात्कृतकृत्यस्त्वं भवेथाः पुरुषर्षभ ॥

tataḥ saṃsargajaḥ snehaḥ putrasya tava pāṇḍavaiḥ | yadi syātkṛtakṛtyastvaṃ bhavethāḥ puruṣarṣabha

"Then, if affection born of living together should arise between your son and the Pandavas, you would have achieved your purpose, bull among men."

Note on the text: Corrected पुरषर्षभ → पुरुषर्षभ (misprint in Wikisource; dropped u-vowel sign). The second line differs from the critical edition (kṛtakāryo 'dya bhaves tvaṃ manujeśvara), a recension variant kept as printed.

Verse 11 (3.8.11)

अथवा जायमानस्य यच्छीलमनुजायते । श्रूयते तन्महाराज नामृतस्यापसर्पति ॥

athavā jāyamānasya yacchīlamanujāyate | śrūyate tanmahārāja nāmṛtasyāpasarpati

"Or else, great king, it is said that the character a man is born with does not leave him until he dies."

Verse 12 (3.8.12)

कथं वा मन्यते भीष्मो द्रोणोऽथ विदुरोऽपि वा । भवान्वाऽत्र परं कार्यं पुरा चार्थो निवर्तते ॥

kathaṃ vā manyate bhīṣmo droṇo'tha viduro'pi vā | bhavānvā'tra paraṃ kāryaṃ purā cārtho nivartate

"What do Bhishma, Drona and Vidura think — or you yourself? Let what is best be done here before the chance slips away."

Note on the text: Restored a missing avagraha and word space (विदुरोपिवा → विदुरोऽपि वा).